Food, drinks, art all at the park

June 22, 2008|By Elissa Dickey, edickey@aberdeennews.com

To show that corn dogs are his favorite food at Arts in the Park, Dan Kinney, of Aberdeen, just had to gesture to the two in his hand. His son, John, 4, also prefers corn dogs - though he was eating only one. If food and drink are what draw you to the annual arts festival (come on, admit it), you won't be disappointed. Old favorites like lemonade and kettle corn can still be found, and new treats like deep-fried s'mores will tempt your tastebuds. Whether it was the food, the shopping or something else entirely, people flocked to Melgaard Park on Saturday to enjoy the annual arts festival, sponsored by the Aberdeen Area Arts Council. "We've had just a really good turnout," said Stacy Braun, executive director of the arts council, late Saturday afternoon. Of course, the warm temperatures and sunny skies couldn't have hurt. "The weather's beautiful," said Deb Bierman, of Aberdeen, as she shopped with her husband, Delbert.. 'Road people': Some vendors were as intriguing as their wares. Sharon and John Tinsley are selling multi-layer stack puzzles. "We always get a lot of people stopping to play," Sharon Tinsley said, adding that the puzzles are for children from 3 to 90. The Tinsleys are from Michigan, but now they live in a motorhome, she said, wandering the country. "We've been road people for 13 years," she said. " ... It's the best life anyone could have." Dogs and babies: Families didn't leave their four-legged members at home. Dogs were almost as common a sight as babies at Arts in the Park. The babies seemed to be attracting more attention, however - it might have been because of their strollers. "Can I have a ride?" one man was overheard asking another man pushing a stroller. A woman cooed at a baby: "You've got the best seat in the house, don't ya?" That baby, 6-month-old Abbigayle Preszler, of Aberdeen, was at her very first Arts in the Park. Abbigayle seemed to be enjoying herself. She'd been vocal, said her mom, Alicia Preszler. But, "good vocal so far." Abbigayle's sister, Mackenzie Reed, 5, was also enjoying herself, but she said she was ready to play - and ready for a SpongeBob SquarePants Popsicle. "She wants to play and she wants ice cream," her mom said with a smile. "That's all she cares about." Playtime: The inflatable obstacle course - a new feature this year - was popular on Saturday, with kids lined up to take a turn. Raeanna Johnson, 3, of Aberdeen, braved the course. Climbing up to the top of the slide at the end proved to be the most challenging part for her, said her dad, Philip. "She looked like she was kind of struggling (a little bit)," he said, smiling. But judging by her smile coming down the slide, Raeanna certainly found it worth the effort. Green option: Don't know what to do with those old wine bottles? Carol and Dale Olson of Aberdeen had a great idea: turn them into night lights. Carol Olson paints the bottles with different themes - from weddings to hunting - and puts Christmas lights inside of them. "I just love doing it," she said. "It is so much fun." She said she never thought about the fact that she is essentially recycling. "These bottles would all be in the garbage can," she said. Back to food ... What's your favorite food at Arts in the Park? Alicia Preszler said she was pretty happy with the Indian taco she had eaten. Philip Johnson jokingly said he'd had about three of everything, but his favorite is probably the pork loin sandwich. But "cheese curds (are) a close second." Another man said the iced coffee is really good. Braun, of the arts council, tried a deep-fried s'more. She said it's not exactly what you think of as a traditional s'more. "But it definitely has the s'more flavoring," she said. She said she would recommend it as a new taste to try. Usually, I get a gyro, but I tried something new this year: frozen cheesecake dipped in chocolate. Is your mouth watering? It comes on a stick and looks like a round ice cream bar. But instead of ice cream, cheesecake filling and a layer of crust is inside. It's rich - my advice would be to share it with someone. But it is also divine. I let my 1-year-old son try it. After chewing thoughtfully, he broke into his huge, six-tooth grin and giggled. My thoughts exactly.